ISLAMABAD by IMTISAL BUKHARI
The Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) has released its quarterly report for April to June 2025, revealing alarming findings regarding the safety of bottled drinking water in the country.
According to the report, PCRWR collected 203 samples of bottled water from 21 cities across Pakistan and tested them against the quality standards set by the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA). The results showed that 23 bottled water brands were found unsafe for human consumption due to chemical and microbiological contamination.
The analysis revealed that several brands contained excessive levels of sodium, potassium, and arsenic (arsenicum), making the water hazardous to health. The following brands were identified as having high sodium content:
- New Mehran
- Aqua 111
- Nice Pure Max
- Pure Drinking Water
- Logic
- Himalaya Cool
- Natural Pure Life
- Natural
- Forever Bottled Drinking Water
- Qudrat Water
Furthermore, arsenic levels exceeding the permissible limits were found in samples from the following brands:
- Active Drinking Water
- Active Nest
- Pani
- New Mountain
One brand, Way Forever, was found to have a high level of potassium beyond acceptable limits.
Bacterial Contamination in Nine Brands
In addition to chemical contamination, nine brands were found to be microbiologically unsafe due to the presence of harmful bacteria. These brands include:
- Noble Pure Drinking Water
- Aqua 111
- Clear
- Wah Water
- Nice Pure Max
- Aqua King Bottled Water
- Maan Ji
- Fresh-N Drinking Water
- Iceland
